Bound Like A Book
by Lady Eden Death
Summary: ShikaSaku. A relationship can be built upon many things. Opposites don't always attract, and that is proven when an intelligent young girl seeks an intelligent young man. Intellect and Heat.
1. Chapter 1

Requested by otakudazukage from I do not own Naruto. If I did I would not write "fan" fiction.

Pairing: ShikaSaku, divided into two sections--Intellect and Heat.

-1-1-1-1-

Bound Like A Book

Part 1: Intellect

Author: L.E. Death (Lady Eden Your Gift From Death)

The pink-haired kunoichi had a share of experiences with crushes. Being a bright ninja herself, Sakura was prone to falling for intelligent men. Her first had been the Uchiha boy, her second Hyuuga Neji, and her third was Lee. There had been a few unimportant attractions as well; unimportant because they had lasted a short period of time.

Finding herself between the age of fifteen and sixteen, the Haruno female decided it was time to finally act upon her feelings. Just recently she had found that a certain cloud-gazing boy was as much a genius as the adults gave him credit for. He was not that bad looking either.

She had dated a few times before and, as such, had become a rather skilled kisser. A few times her date and she would grope one another. Curiosity had played a huge factor in those times. The thought of taking all that a step further intrigued Sakura. Still, she wanted to wait for a candidate she thought worthy of possibly taking her virginity.

Thinking back to the first time she had taken the chuunin exams, Sakura recalled that it had only been Shikamaru to be promoted. In the back of her mind she added how hot that was.

The young kunoichi blushed at the thought of her newly developed crush.

Snapping out of her trance, the girl looked up when the bell above the door rang. Working in this bookstore was only temporary but she would work to the best of her ability.

A couple had walked inside, whom she recognized as the parents of the genius she had just been thinking of. Sakura smiled and greeted them as she would any potential customer. Shikamaru's mother returned the words while her husband merely nodded. A sigh of boredom that reached the female's ears caught Sakura off guard.

Her attention went back towards the door to reveal that the pair's son had come with them. "Oh!" she said, slightly startled. "Good evening, Shikamaru-kun."

The boy blinked as he did a double-take. He had not realized that it was Sakura who was the cashier. Shimaru muttered out a phrase almost identical and walked over to the desk.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd work here," he commented with a smirk. Sakura did not know if she was to feel offended by this remark. "Most girls like other jobs…salons and all."

Sakura countered his smirk, "Well it seems I'm not like most girls."

"Heh." The girl blinked. "What kind of books are you into then?"

She thought about this carefully for a few moments before the answer escaped through her lips. "Hmm…it rally depends I guess. I'll read almost anything wit a good plot that is well-written."

"Have you read A Separate Peace by John Knowles?" Shikamaru questioned after a period of the girl's silence. She shook her head. "It's not that bad. A group of boys attending a school by the name of Devon during a war. They are getting prepared to join from what they learn. The book tells how a certain section of those boys grow up because of some tragedy. Great symbolism too, but it's too troublesome so I won't explain it."

Hearing the boy talk about the book like that was a turn-on for the pink-haired teen. She made a mental note to read the book after she got off work. A smile remained on her face as she stared at the boy with interest. Shikamaru's smirk grew, aware of the reasoning behind the girl's attention. He had connected them with the looks Ino used to give when she spoke of Sasuke.

No further words were exchanged between the two. The elder Nara male had found the book he needed, and his wife the one she wanted. Seeing her purchase a smut book was definitely easier to swallow than watching her jounin sensei buy the latest volume of "Icha Icha Paradise". Sakura wondered if it were any good as she rung up the two items.

They paid cash then headed out on their way. The girl waved, "Thank you, have a good night."

"You too." She was greatly impressed with Shikamaru's manners. He was always somewhat respectful, especially when it came to females.

"He really is something," the girl said to herself a moment or two after they were out of hearing range.

Sakura took out a pen and wrote on a sticky note the title of the book the Nara genius had spoken of. There was a pause of the pen a moment after. Biting her bottom lip, Sakura added the name of Kakashi's favorite series. She had read her own share of smut so she believed herself capable of handling it. Besides that, Sakura was smart enough to close the book if she was proven otherwise.

The girl waited until her shift was almost over, ten minutes to closing time, before she sought out the two books. Rarely ever did anyone ever enter the store during this time the girl had learned over the course of the week. Taking the books back up to the register she run them up and paid for them. It was not a method considered legal, but she did not want anyone to know of a certain book she was purchasing. Not to mention the fact that she was actually too young to buy it.

Sakura put her books into a brown paper bag instead of the clear plastic, for obvious reasons. She then readied the store for closing. When finished, the girl finally took her leave and proceeded down the road to her home.

The kunoichi bid her parents a good night before she went to her room. Sakura immediately closed the door behind her. She decided that before she read A Separate Peace, she had to know what Icha Icha Paradise was all about.

Her bed had been made that morning, but the work was demolished as she climbed into it. The paper bag on her lap was being opened by her hands and the adult book was pulled out. Setting aside the other contents, Sakura opened the book.

It was not that bad, she decided after getting past the first ten pages. About twenty minutes later, however, she discovered the reason it always seemed to make her sensei blush. The sex looked like it had in her head all those times she had allowe3d her mind to dine on smut.

Sakura began to picture herself as the female in the story, except she would not be as fragile. The hero started to look more and more like Shikamaru. Rather than the cheesy clichés, he would be speaking words of intelligence. The concept of him smirking while they made love caused Sakura to feel a sort of wetness in her panties.

"Bad idea," the blushing teenager said, closing the book before she gave into the temptation to go any further. "Eh…I should get ready for bed. Then I can start on the other book."

Glad that tomorrow was her day off, the girl decided to have a celebration of sorts by reading the entire book that night. It was short enough for her to accomplish that task.

The kunoichi brushed her hair and teeth, washed her face, and dressed herself in some comfortable pajamas. It was a set; a pink tank-top and pants with little froggies on them. The frogs brought out her eyes and the pink matched her hair. Ino had bought them as part of her birthday present.

Sakura climbed back into her bed and took out the book. The sound of Shikamaru's voice summarizing it ran through her head. For once he had sounded interested instead of bored. It was nice listening to him when that was the case.

Her light-green eyes wandered across the sentences as she read the item's contents in her head. So far the book seemed well-written. Shikamaru had pretty good taste, she concluded. It took her a few moments to catch some of the symbolism but eventually she understood. The tree was man's fall from grace and the river was the passing of time.

This particular book held the girl's interest. She was able to relate with some of the characters and how they felt during different parts of the story. She found the ironic elements added to be a smart touch. The girl was almost disappointed to reach the end, but she thought Knowles had done an excellent job with wrapping things up.

Sakura set the book down with a smile on her face. "That boy…" she sighed. "He's different than I thought…better…" He probably seemed so bored because not many were on his intellectual level, she thought. Sometimes she found herself feeling the same. "Plus he's a very accepting person…" She thought of Chouji as she mentioned this.

The girl began to wonder why she had not noticed many of these things before. Most likely because she was always too obsessed with all her other crushes, she concluded. Not to mention she had been too young to know what was truly best for her.

Soon her thoughts became jumbled, the words clashing together. Finally it became a buzz as the world of conscousness left the pink-haired teenager.

The next morning she woke up to the sounds of theroaring of streets she thought she had grown accustomed to after having lived in Konoha her entire life.

Quite recently--for about two weeks to be exact--Sakura and Ino had one day each week during which they wuold visit a different restaurant for lunch. On this particular day they had chosen to dine at Niwatori, a popular chicken place. Neither of the two girls could recall which of them had selected the place. Soon they decided all that mattered was how good the food turned out to be.

Each held a menu in their hands as they picked out what sounded best. As for their drinks, Sakura was ordering melon soda and Ino had chosen strawberry. Ramune was a popular drink during the summer.

The blonde-haired teen decided that orange chicken and shumai sounded delicious. For her companion it was not so simple. A few meals appealed to Sakura's taste. When the waiter came by she chose to get afriend chicken and baked potatoe meal. Western food always struck her interest.

While waiting for their food to be cooked, the girls struck up a conversation. It was about time they were informed with what was going on in the other's life. Plus they needed something to make the wait not seem so long.

"So, Sakura," Ino began with a mischievious glint in her eyes, "anything interesting happen at your job?"

The Haruno girl paused mid-sip and stared at her friend. She set down her bottle of ramune as she shook her head. "Not really. People just come and buy the books they want, need, or have been waiting for. It was awkward having Kakashi-sensei get Icha Icha Paradise. A bit disturbing even."

Ino listened to ever word with a different level of interest depending on the sentence. Once she was positive Sakura was finished she spoke on the matter.

"I guess selling your teacher and adult book would be strange. Oh! I almost forgot. Shikamaru had told me his parents were forcing him to go with them to the bookstore. You see him there?"

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the boy's name, though this went unnoticed by the blonde.

"Yeah, I saw him." Sakura's voice was calm despite her racing heart. We talked for a few minutes...about books that is."

Ino sighed, "Such a guy. He's always been so boring. And he isn't much of a looker. How about that one boy--Sai, I think his name was. What's he been up to lately?"

Sakura did not even attempt to bite back her laughter. Ino's obvious crush on Sai amused her. Their personalities went together, she thought. the same could be said for her and Shikamaru. The lazy genius was most definately a man she could enjoy if he would talk more.

Answering the blonde's quesion, Sakura replied with the words 'I don't know'. This caused a look of disappointment to cross Ino's face.

-Meanwhile-

Choji and Shikamaru were eating their own lunch at a buffet. The more plump boy possessed a larger plate than his childhood friend as was normal. Shikmaru was almost finished with his meal, whereas Choji was just getting started. As for their drinks, the lazy boy was still on his first and the other on his third.

Shikamaru sighed and mumbled, "Ino would be complaining if she were here."

"Are you going to eat that?" Choji questioned, pointing to a sushi with his chopsticks. It was obvious he did not care what the female of their team thought of his eating habits.

The raven-haired boy smirked and surrened the piece of food to his companion. He watched as it was devoured with a sort of silence that showed he was thinking. Choji noticed this but his attention quickly fell back to his food.

Done withthe plate of food in front of him, Choji decided to hold a conversation with his teammate before he picked out dessert. He thought of where to begin then said the first thing that came to mind.j

"What's your favorite food?" The other stared at him for a moment before he gave the nonverbal answer of shrugging. "Barbecue potatoe chips."

Shikamaru already knew this. "Did you read the book yet?" he asked.

Choji made a face, "I don't like books."

Disappointment crossed Shikamaru's mind. Books had always been one of his favorite things in life aside from cloud gazing and shougi. He was not given time to voice these thoughts since Choji had started to order his desserts. Books on his mind, Shikamaru did not desire any sweets.

The thought of Ino scolding their plump teammate came to his mind once again. He then recalled the blonde saying she was going to lunch with a certain pink-haired kunoichi. A Separate Peace wandered into his mind as did the conversation he had had with Sakura. She had always been an interesting girl, even back at the academy.

Sakura, as Iruka had mentioned on more than one occasion, had been one of the most promising kunoichi out of the class. Her intellect was unrivaled by any of the other female ninja. Shikamaru gave Sakura his respect because of this.

"Neh, Shikamaru," Choji said between bites. "Thinking about a girl?"

He was not one to be caught off guard. "Tch. They're troublesome."

-Next Day-

Sakura tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ear as she rung up an order that her current customer had a good hundred dollars worth of books was being purchased for eighty due to a sale they were having. The bell above the door rang but she did not look back, too preoccupied with her current task. The lady handed the girl cash as payment. Change was not required in this case, which allowed Sakura to look up sooner.

Her eyes widened slightly, "Shikamaru-kun."

"...yeah," his voice drawled out. "Ino wants me to pick up some manga or another for her. Tch. Didn't even say the title because you're supposed to know. Women...troublesome."

A chuckle escaped from her before she could contain it. There was a light shade of blush on her cheeks after that. Sakura pointed to the section where the manga was kept, saying the title only loud enough for the boy to hear. Barely at that.

Shikamaru muttered a thanks as he went in the direction pointed out by the cashier.Chocolat volumethree was easy enough to find amongst the rest since it was all in alphabetical order. For once the world accompanied his needs and made things easy for him. A part of him wanted to fall to his knees and thank God. But that was out of character and much too cumbersome for the boy.

Taking the manga back up the register, Shikamaru thought he would bring up a topic they could discuss, even for a short while.

"That book I told you about yesterday-"

Sakura cut him off. Not intentionally, but it turned out just all right. "I read it. You were right, it's great!"

A smirk crossed the boy's lips. Point one for him. He had at last succeeded in getting another being to read a good book. Ino was too into romance and manga, and Choji really was not into any sort of book.

"Are...are there any other books like that, that you have read?" the kunoichi questioned. The lazy genius nodded but said nothing. "Nine seventy-five."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"I mean...the price."

"Oh."

Mentally he cursed himself as he handed over the amount due. He had been too busy staring at Sakura. For some reason the knowledge that she had taken his advice made him see her in a new light. She was even lovier than before. The bud was beginning to blossom. What a wonderful flower it would make.

"The Collection by Bentley Little is good," Shikamaru stated, answering her previous question. He took the bag that held the manga before he continued. "It's a series of short stories. Most are morbid, but have great plots. If you're not squeemish, I recommend it."

"Well, you haven't led me wrong yet." His smirk widened. "Though...I'll have to wait until I get paid next. I'm out of spending money. Or at least for entertainment."

Shikamaru shook his head. 'So troublesome,' he thought. "I own it." The argument in his head ceased as the next sentence left his lips. "You could borrow it."

"That'd be great!" Her smile was gorgeous. The boy was able to see just how much of a woman she was becoming. "Could you swing it by my house later? You could stay for a while too if you wanted. I don't want to be rude."

He shrugged, "Sure." 'Women are so troublesome,' he thought with a sort of smile.

Shikamaru then bid the woman farewell, taking his purchase to its rightful owner. Ino would grow angry if he did not hurry back with the desired possession. Sakura watched him leave, her eyes not leaving his back until the crowded street took the sight away.

-After Work-

Sakura said her goodbyes to her co-worker that had come in to take over before she headed out the door. She went down the street, halfway to her home, when she recalled that she had not told Shikamaru what time she got off at. Mentally slapping herself, Sakura hoped that Ino had told him. If he had asked, that is. Who knew if the lazy genius would ask, he was much too...lazy.

Her mother would be making a large dinner, and Sakura was pondering over the idea of asking her if Shikamaru could stay for dinner. If he wanted to, that was. The pink-haired kunoichi thought it would be polite, plus she wanted to spend more time with him. He was the first male that actually apprecaited literature as much as she.

Sakura opened the front door, announced that she was home for her parents' sake, and then went up to her room. She wanted to change into more comfortable clothes. Her work clothes were black pants and a plain shirt. The clothes she desired was her usual outfit, a pink tanktop shirt and tight black shorts. Black gloves were put onto her hands, but she left off her kunai pouch. One item she never forgot to put on was her Konoha forehead protector.

The girl then sat on her bed, Icha Icha Paradise in her hands. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. Releasing a sigh, the girl finally gave into the temptation and opened the book to the page she had left off on. Blush filled her face immediately. She had almost forgotten that she was still on the smut scene. Smut books wtih pictures definately were not good for fifteen year olds, she decided. The pink-haired girl mentally scolded herself for giving in so easily.

Sakura had long passed the scene when her mother called up to her, announcing that there was someone at the door to see her. She also added that her daughter she should hurry up since dinner was almost ready. The girl remembered that she was going to ask if Shikmaru could eat over, and did so when she went past the woman. Her mother agreed then glanced at the door.

It was part way open and Sakura could just make out a figure standing behind it. The lazy genius had a book in his hand, the one he had promised to bring.

"Ano...Shikamaru, would you like to stay for dinner?" Sakura asked. Her mother gave her an odd look. She had obviously believed that her daughter had already asked the young man.

The boy blinked, slightly surprised. He let a moment of silence pass between them before he replied, "Meh...I guess." His answer caused a smile to grow on the girl's face. This pleased him as well, though he did not show it.

"Oh, you can come in," Sakura said at last, taking a step off to the side to allow him room to enter. He accepted the invatation.

Once inside the Haruno home, Shikamaru took a few minutes to observe his surroundings. It was a nice set-up, something his mother would do if she got her way. Well, she did get her way for the most part but there were limits his parents had agreed on so that they were both content. Shikamaru could care less so long as it was not too feminine.

There were a few ninja scrolls hanging from the wall in the living room, as well as a couple paintings. No doubt the girl's mother had collected these. They were interesting though, like scenes painted from a great book in his opinion. Lazy on the outside, Shikamaru's mind raced with many thoughts. It was how he stayed so thin--all the calories were mentally burned.

"Oh, we're having rice, shumai, and yakisoba. Terriyaki chicken too," Sakura informed the boy. His attention turned from the art to her. "Do you like those?"

The boy smirked, "Yeah." Knowing that the girl was so worried about his opinion gave a sort of cocky feeling to the boy. He had never really had a woman fuss over him, aside from his mother at least, this much. The boy extended his arm, offering the book to the female, "Here."

Sakura blinked, "Oh! Thank you." Her smile widened. "You can come to my room until dinner is ready."

Shikamaru felt odd about the statement, but knew it was for a perfectly innocent cause. Still, having a female invite you to her room when it is your first time over at her house is pretty strange. He just nodded and followed her down the hallway. They went up the staircase, the boy behind the girl. It was the second door on the right.

His hands had been stuffed in his pockets the whole time and his eyes had gone back and forth between her back and rear. An attractive woman wearing such tight clothing in front of a teenage boy, it was nothing surprising that he would be prone to do such things.

The room was nice, he thought. The typical bedroom really, or so he thought since it was something similar to that of Ino's. He had just been in his female teammate's room that day to give her the manga. A certain book then caught his eye. He did not comment on it, but his eyes were unable to peel themselves from it.

Sakura looked over her shoulder to see what the boy was doing. She then followed his gaze which lead her to Icha Icha Paradise. Blush flodded her cheeks and she moved to hide the book. It was a meaningless action, she knew, since the boy had already seen it. Still, it would make her feel somewhat better in the long-run.

"I thought you liked good books."

The comment did not help matters. Sakura was so embarrassed that she wanted to cry, but that would only make her feel like an idiot on top of things. She swallowed back the awkwardness and turned to the boy.

"I was curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Shikmaru replied in a sort of drawl.

Sakura sighed, "Yet everyone seems to forget that satisfaction brought her back."

"What about Icha Icha Paradise satisfies you?"

"That is NONE of your business!" she screeched. The wide-eyed face of the other told her that she had chosen the wrong set of words. Speaking of a smut book like that, it could easily lead one to believe the worse of her. "Not that, not that."

'Women are so troublesome,' Shikamaru told himself. "Ah."

Sakura let another sigh slip through her lips, "Can't you say something other than 'ah'?"

"It's too troublesome. There's no reason to."

'I'll give him a reason,' the girl decided. She was once again letting temptation get to her.

Sakura moved closer to the boy. Curiosity filled his eyes before they widened when the girl gripped his shoulders. Shikamaru allowed the lips to descend upon his own. They were soft. His first kiss had been with Temari and her lips had been rough. He liked this feeling better, he felt more in control. Man should be dominant over woman, he thought. It would be wrong if he lost to her.

Before he was able to fall into the kiss, Sakura pulled away from him. The pink-haired kunoichi then waited for a response.

"Ah."

This time it held some pleasure in it instead of a passiveness. She supposed it was some sort of improvement at least. Yet it was far from good enough. She moved forward once more and Shikamaru, being lazy, just stood there. When their lips were about to meet Sakura heard her mother call.

"It's time for dinner!"

A curse escaped from the girl's lips. Shikamaru supressed a chuckle. It was nice to know he was so important.

The pair went back down the staircase to the dining room. Again the boy was forced to follow the girl since he did not know where everything was quite yet. When all was said and done, Sakura and Shikamaru were seated beside one another, the boy across from the girl's father. Sakura's mother sat across from her with a small smile.

The children were drinking soda while the two adults drank a small glass of sake. One glass was supposedly healthy, unless one became an alcoholic. Once Sakura turned sixteen, or so her mother promised, she would also be able to have a glass with her dinner. Shikamaru was to wait until he was of age. He could care less though.

Dinner was eaten in silence, something Sakura was thankful for. Her parents sometimes had a tendency to reveal some embarrassing moments of her childhood, things she did not want Shikamaru to know about. Him discovering Icha Icha Paradise was enough for one day. The pink-haired kunoichi was pleased with the fact that he had not pressed on the subject in the bedroom.

-Three Days Later-

Sakura had finished the book lent to her by Shikamaru the previous day. Said boy had come to her work for the last three days to ask how she liked it. Never once did the topic of Icha Icha Paradise or the kiss come into play. Sakura was glad with the first part, but wanted to know what the boy thought of the kiss. She herself had enjoyed it, but could not tell if it had been the same for him.

As she handed the book to him, she decided to bring up the matter, "Uhm, Shikamaru-"

He cut her off before anything more was said. "Mom wants to know if you'll come for dinner."

"Sure!" she said with a smile. "My mom was just going to have us eat leftovers today so it works out perfectly."

"Ah."

There it was again. The annoying syllable that now reminded her of the kiss. That lead to her thinking of what she had been wanting to say to the boy. It was not like her to give up. She opened her mouth once more.

"Shikamaru-san..." her voice trailed off as she quickly thought of the right words. "About what happened in my room."

"It's all right. People are into different things."

She looked taken aback for a moment before she realized he was speaking of Icha Icha Paradise. The pink-haired kunoichi laughed and shook her head.

"Not that." He blinked then let 'oh' escape from him. "Yeah...uhm..."

"It was okay."

"Only okay?" Her heart dropped.

Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes in annoyance,"You're so troublesome. I meant it's fine. It's not a big deal that you kissed me."

"So...so then...what did you think of the kiss?"

He peeked at her through half-lidded eyes. They opened all the way when he noticed the blush on her face. "Ah..." It would be rude to say anything that made her cry, so he decided to tell the truth. "It was nice."

A radiant smile came to the girl's face, as did a new shade of red. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and excused himself. He called back to her that dinner would be at five thirty. Sakura said 'okay' just as the door closed.

There was a passing of fifteen minutes before another customer came into the store. It was her jounin sensei, Kakashi. Sakura sighed, remembering thata special of Icha Icha Paradise had come out. She wondered what was inspiring Jiraiya to write so much. The thoughts disturbed her so she stopped, and focused on her customer.

"Sakura-chan," her sensei started. "I noticed Shikamaru has come here a lot lately. So...is his mother reading another series?"

The girl cocked her head to the side, 'So that's where he got his interest in reading.' "No, he just lent me a book is all. I was slow in reading it because of work."

The Icha Icha Paradise special was set on the cashier counter. Sakura rung it up as she conversed with her sensei, completely forgetting her own experience with the series. Dinner at Shikamaru's was going to be a treat if his mother was really into books as much as Kakashi said.

-1-1-1-

Originally this was going to be a one-shot. However, because I do not want to spoil it with a rushed ending I have decided to have it in two parts. These two parts are the two elements otakudazukage had asked for in the fic: Intellect and Heat.

Next chapter WILL contain a lemon.

Thank you all and have a good day. And please be kind enough to review.


	2. Chapter 2

What can I say? I'm slow at times. Hope you enjoy!

-1-1-1-1-

Bound Like A Book

Part 2: Heat

Author: L.E. Death

It is easy to tell someone that you like them when you do not mean it so long as it is beneficial to yourself. However, upon first meeting that person it would be difficult to even say hello. People worry too much about how they are perceived. The thing was, Sakura wanted to be able to honestly tell Shikamaru's mother that she liked her. She wanted to be able to say hello without coming off as an airhead. Intellegent enough to think of at least seven different scenarios of their meeting, Sakura gained at least a small amount of confidence in herself. A positive attitude would help, if nothing else.

She also figured that a decent outfit would do her good. The pink-haired kunoichi had chosen a shirt that covered her mid-drift and a nice pair of khakis. It still showed off her figure, but in a more modest manner. The shirt was formfitting and black while the khakis were a sea green.

As she observed herself in her bedroom mirror, the girl contemplated which perfume she would put on. Sakura shook her head. It might be awkward if she wore perfume to their house. It was their first meeting and, though she wanted to look her best, wearing perfume might give off the wrong impression. She and Shikamaru were currently nothing more than good friends. And that had just been a recent happening.

There was also the fact that she was no more than fifteen years. Her birthday would be in the coming month, sure, but that was no reason to act how she believed an adult would. Maturity would reason, that was a given.

Sakura pursed her lips as she took in these facts. 'I've never had a problem with meeting someone before...' The reflection in the mirror shifted to the right side as she adjusted her position to better suit her tiring legs. Having been leaning on the opposite leg prior, Sakura's left leg had begun to ache due to the strain. 'Training really has its toll. I just need to calm down. It's no big deal. Just think about something else for a change and everything'll be all right.'

The life of a shinobi was rather short, though, and Sakura was well aware of this fact. Finding a suitable mate--she wanted children before she died, even if she did not fall completely in love--was one of her top priorities. And, being at her age also caused a sense of curiosity to permeate in her mind. Sex was said to be enjoyable and special, granted it would hurt the first couple times. Sakura wanted to experience this before her death.

The female spared one last glance towards the mirror before exitting her room. She did not want to be late to the dinner. That would be rude and leave a bad impression.

Sakura supposed that the main reason she wanted Shikamaru's mother to like her was because she wanted Shikamaru to like her more. Return her feelings of love, even. Not that she loved him as much as she could--she hardly knew him--but a start would be marvelous. It would help them advanced to new levels. Dating and sex being the main two. As for marriage, that was a possibility. If she did not think that she could marry the man, she was not going to go out and give him her body.

Sakura had been in love many times before. As such, she had had her heart broken by a few men. Each time it was broken, she swore that she would never allow herself to love again. Her mother always told her that it was a sad part of love--going through heartache, that is to say. At this point in time, the pink-haired kuniochi could only hope that it would not be broken again.

The female teenager walked down the stairs, bidding her parents farewell on the way out the door. Sakura went down the streets of Konoha at a slow pace, still allowing her mind to run over the different phrases she could use to greet the boy's parents. Had it been his jounin instructor, it would have been a much easier thing to decide on.

But that was life, she supposed. It bit you in the butt, took everything you had, and then left you. Well, perhaps life wasn't that bad. However, exaggerations are so easily made while on that topic.

At current the pink-haired girl only wanted to focus on arriving at her destination. She wondered how long she was expected to stay after dinner—or more so she wondered how long she would be permitted to linger.

-1-

Dinner had gone well enough after the embarassing introduction, Sakura decided. She was still blushing from the incident whilst she sat in the boy's bedroom. Shikamaru could not keep his genius mouth shut about the issue. The pink-haired girl gave him a pout. Really it was not exactly her fault that she had stumbled over the rim of the doorway and crashed right into the boy's mother.

Shikamaru finally closed his mouth, not commenting on the matter any further. It seemed as though he had run out of things to say concerning the embarrassing situation. Still, his eyes remained on the pink-haired girl.

Sakura watched the boy stare at her curiously. He seemed deep in thought and yet at the same time completely focused on what was going around him.

Her face flushed as she dared to say, "You're not as bad as I thought you were."

"Hm?" Shikamaru blinked and tilted his head to the side. His brows knit together for a moment before he relaxed his face. "What are you talking about?"

A smile broke out across the pink-haired girl's face and then disappeared a second later. There was a slight rumble from her throat that lasted no more than a second. Her companion did not seem to enjoy the fact she was so close to laughing as he pursed his lips slightly; Shikamaru did not pout, but he did display his displeasure.

"I just didn't understand you before, I think," the girl admitted once she had thought out her words. She did not want to say the wrong thing, or present a sentence that may have a double-meaning. That could only place her in a more awkward situation. "But you're nice. I really like you."

Shikamaru allowed a smirk to cross his features. Subsequently, Sakura's smile dropped somewhat. She placed the majority of her weight onto her left side, her eyes not leaving the boy in front of her even once. The dark-haired teenager at last decided to speak his mind.

"You're such a troublesome girl."

Sakura's face flushed and she adverted his gaze. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru hesitated, opening his mouth only to close it once more. The second time he attempted speach, he succeeded. "There's nothing wrong with it. Geez, you'd think you were in love with me the way you act."

He had always been sarcastic, the girl noted, but his sarcasm usually portrayed some factual incident or subject. 'I wonder if he's ever noticed this...' At the same moment she thought these words, Sakura smiled at what Shikamaru had said, "That's not true."

"Do you care so much about what people think of you?"

Sakura ducked her head and flinched as though she had just been hit. "I guess I do sometimes."

"Everyone does," the boy continued. "You just can't let it get to you. Geez. I figured you'd know that." There was a touch of humor in his voice that allowed Sakura to continue to smile. "Come on. There's probably dessert."

"All right. This time I won't trip though."

Sakura could have sworn that she heard Shikamaru mutter 'I hope not' under his breath, but dismissed it; she did not want to make assumptions. Instead she followed the Nara boy out of his room. Her green eyes moved to the side as she walked past him and caught the smirk upon his lips. 'So he did say it,' she thought to herself, growing a smirk that matched his. 'The jerk.' She released a slight breath of air at the thought, holding in every other hint of laughter.

The sound of the door closing behind to the adolescents was followed by footsteps hitting against the steps of the stairs; it resembled the galloping of horses. An aroma filled their nostrils the closer to the bottom they got. Both inhaled deeply, Sakura momentarily closing her eyes to further enjoy to scent and Shikamaru drooping his shoulders as he let off some tension that had built up over the week during his training. The smell of baking cookies--more than likely chocolate chip--gave comfort to the teens, though neither could place their fingers on to why that was.

Shikamaru's eyes moved in Sakura's direction as the two walked down the hallway. They lingered for a moment even after both had made the left turn into the Naras' kitchen.

His mother turned her attention towards the two with a wide smile, "They'll be ready in just a few minutes. Why don't the two of you watch some television? Or you could show Sakura the small library we have."

"Sure," the male muttered, moving towards the doorway once more. "Come on, Sakura."

Again did the female walk behind the genius obediently. Her green eyes roamed over his entire backside greedily. It occured to her that she had the urge to kiss him once more. Her actions did not hide her desires either; her pace quickened until she was side-by-side with the boy and then her eyes traveled to his lips where they remained.

Shikamaru met her gaze. "Geez. You really are troublesome," he said in his normal drawl. "Meet me by the edge of the forest tonight."

"Huh?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly. Blush then covered her face and she shook her head. "I'm not that kind of girl! I'm not just going to--"

"I'm not afraid of commitment...as long as I don't have to work," Shikamaru stated, his voice trailing off towards the end. His words brought a smile to the face of the fifteen-year old beside him. "And it's not like I'll just forget."

She made her quiet laugh again, attempting to stay quiet so that neither of the elder Naras heard their conversation. "All right. I guess we both kind of want it." The pair watched one another out of the corners of their eyes.

Shikamaru opened the door to the library and lead the girl inside. Rather than gazing at the books on the various shelves, however, Sakura moved closed to the Nara boy. Her left hand extended upwards until it touched the boy's shoulder, and then the pink-haired kunoichi pulled him to her. Anticipating the action, Shikamaru allowed himself to be dragged into the kiss while lazily returning it.

The pair of lips easily molded together and Sakura let Shikamaru gain dominance when he demanded it. He pressed her up against the closest bookshelf, placed a hand beside her head, and trailed his tongue across her lower lip. The female held in a gasp at the sudden display of affection. Still, she opened her mouth and engaged in a french kiss with the boy.

Unfortunately for the two it was just at that moment Shikamaru's mother called to them, announcing that the cookies were ready.

"At least there's the forest tonight," Sakura stated with a smile, attempting to ignore the flush on the boy's face. Shikamaru only smirked in response.

-1-

At ten o'clock Sakura slowly rose from her bed, careful not to make too many noises as it would wake her parents. Being a ninja aided her in being steathy, and she was finally glad that her mother had never shared the same profession. A confident smirk highlighted her face as she continued with her sneaking. Sakura threw on a random jacket, zipped it up, and then moved towards her door. She gripped the handle and opened it casually, as though she were going to the bathroom; that sort of movement would not awaken her parents.

Instead of entering the bathroom, however, she bypassed the door and headed towards the front of the house. Quietly she unlocked the door, opened it, and exited. Just as silently did she close the door, gritting her teeth together in fear of being caught so late in the game. A sigh escaped her only once she was able to leave the perimeters of her home. 'Mission...success...' she thought to herself.

The streets were dead, silent for once, which brought a certain serene feeling to the teenager. There was almost no chance that she and Shikamaru would be caught on that night; it had always been one of her childish fears that she should be walked in on during her first time. At last she was able to dismiss it as just that; a fear and not something that would be reality.

All of her thoughts faded away the closer she got to the designated grounds. A shiver ran up her spine. 'I can't believe I'm about to actually do this.'

Her eyes caught sight of the Nara offspring, who was lying beside a tree in his usual cloud-gazing posture. She raised a brow and held in the sigh that pushed against her lips; 'typical' was the only thought that came to her mind. She, however, did not comment on the laziness of the boy whatsoever, and instead finished her trail to his side. Shikamaru looked up at her the entire time, also choosing to remain silent.

"Well," he started at last, "at least you'll know what to do...since you read that stupid smut book."

Sakura's face flushed and she looked away with her eyes. "Shut up."

"All right, all right," Shiakmaru said with a lazy smirk, sitting up. He leaned his back against the tree after shifting his positon somewhat. "Don't worry though...I'll be in charge of this. Man should not be dominated by woman."

Sakura raised a brow at the comment; she recalled the young man's father saying similar things many times before.

"Still...you should sit down."

Boldly, the pink-haired kunoichi took that seat by straddling the male. Shikamaru, having expected such an action, had adjusted his position once more in order to accompany her weight. Their lips met briefly and then each teen smiled. Shikamaru cupped the girl's cheek, drawing her into another kiss. This time their tongues entangled. A fight for dominance broke out between them, only to be quickly won by the man; he seemed persistent on keeping woman below him.

In another act of dominating Sakura, Shikamaru tipped over, pressing the female flat on her back. Sakura moaned as he rubbed their groins together, mimicking their dancing tongues. The pink-haired shinobi wrapped her legs around his waist and ground back with a greater force.

They stopped kissing, parted for a moment, and stared into one another's lust-filled eyes. Sakura unzipped her jacket, her erect nipples visible through her shirt. Shikamaru made his own move removing his chuunin vest. He continued by pulling off his shirt, tossing it to the side.

Sakura leaned up, running her tongue along the base of the boy's neck. She trailed downwards with kisses, nips, and licks until she arrived at his nipples. There she swirled her tongue around the right, meanwhile pinching the left. Shikamaru gave a shudder and groaned, caressing Sakura's cheek. His fingers entangled themselves in her hair the same time that she took the nipple into her mouth and applied a sucking motion.

She trailed upwards again with the same kisses, her lips barely touching the skin. Shikamaru pressed his lips tightly against hers. He slid his left hand up her shirt and began toying with her breasts. Sakura squirmed under the foreign touch, almost giggling at the giddy feeling that ran through her. Shikamaru rolled the nipple under his thumb, teasing the remainder of the flesh with ghost touches given by his other four fingers.

Sakura pulled away from his touches in order to pull off her shirt, allowing him better access to her chest. The pair then laid back once more, the boy atop the girl, and let their hands roam over the exposed skin. Each began to move against one another, grinding the only clothed parts of their body together in passion and need.

The friction between them grew into an unbearable amount, forcing each to break apart once more. Shikamaru pulled down his pants, Sakura mimicking his actions. The boy then placed his hands below her waist, fingers trailing against the moist panties. He rubbed against her clit through her panties, causing Sakura to moan and buck into his hands. Her toes curled in pleasure as the boy's name left her lips.

Shikamaru refused her the pleasure of an orgasm, pulling away when she was on the brink. His own boxers were tight on him, bulging out to reveal his erection.

He commanded her to lay back, peeling off her panties only once she had obeyed. Sakura shivered at the contact of air against her moist entrance, and again when Shikamaru's fingers traced over her. When asked to spread her legs further, Sakura did not hesitate. The dark-haired boy responded to her compliance by burying his tongue into her folds. He inserted two fingers a second later, thrusting them in and out while his tongue explored her depths.

Sakura moaned again, grabbing a fistful of the grass underneath her. She pressed downwards, this making Shikamaru hold her down with his free hand. Her superhuman strength did not help her; she was too distracted by the pleasure to call upon it.

She could feel the organ moving within her, teasing her walls, and the fingers rubbing. A groan escaped her when his thumb began circling around her clitoris. To keep from screaming, Sakura bit down on her bottom lip. If it had not been for all of the previous foreplay, she would not have cum so quickly. Shikamaru smirked at this fact, licking up her juices.

He leaned back, sliding between her legs so that they were face to face once more. Shikamaru gave her a quick kiss before asking, "So…would you be willing to give me a blow-job, or are you not into that?"

Flushed from both her orgasm and embarrassment, Sakura gave a small nod. "I-I'll try it. Just don't laugh."

"Bah…you don't have to be an expert."

The smirk on the boy's face offered some confidence for the teenage girl. She waited for him to get off of her, copying his movements thereafter. Shikamaru sat back, leaning while a single hand against the ground held him up, and pulled off his boxers with his other hands.

"I was going to have you do that, but…" Sakura's blush increased. "…I'd rather not psych you out."

"It-it's…" Shikamaru raised a brow as the girl stumbled over her words. "Well…I mean…I know I can't fit it all in my mouth anyways…but…"

Shikamaru chuckled and then urged her forward. Sakura simply nodded, wrapping her hands around the shaft while she took the tip into her mouth. The male had enough self-control to resist thrusting forward. He took in a deep breath when she slid him further into her mouth. The warmth overwhelmed him and he allowed his head to tip backwards some. One of Sakura's hands slipped to Shikamaru's balls and began to toy with them, while her other remained on his shaft.

She teased the tip with her tongue, flicking over every part it could. Shikamaru shuddered when Sakura deep-throated him after having just licked up his pre-cum. He threw out a portion of his self-control and thrust further, forcing her to deep-throat him more often.

Her shy touches brought him over the edge. Shikamaru ejaculated inside the girl's mouth. Only once he was finished did he realized that he was still holding her in place. His hold on the back of the female's head dropped.

Sakura sat up, forgetting her nakedness. "Well…that's not the best-tasting thing I've ever had." Shikamaru chuckled, both of the teens smiling. "I guess this is it though…"

"You're nervous, huh?" the male questioned, his head tilted to the side. "I'll be as gentle as I can, Sakura-koi."

"All right," she said, nodding. The girl returned to lying on her back, spreading her legs for her partner to enter.

Shikamaru, now semi-erect, slid between her legs once more. He caressed her cheek lovingly. At the same time he used his right hand to prepare her, spreading her folds to prevent some of the pain that was bound to be experienced. Sakura leaned up, capturing his lips. Her own were trembling, revealing her nervousness. At the same time, her green eyes showed her desire and Shikamaru could not refuse her this.

When his fingers pulled out of her, Sakura allowed her mind to wonder in order for her to better relax; the pain would be worse if she tensed up. She felt the tip of his erection against her and forced all thoughts out of her head. Sakura pulled in a deep breath when he entered her, breaking her hymen. The pain that shot through her was dreadful, but she had experienced similar wounds during missions and so it did not affect her as much as it would a normal woman.

Shikamaru paused, allowing time for Sakura to adjust to his size. "Geez…I would hate to be a woman," he commented upon seeing Sakura recover from wincing.

"Yeah…well…at least it's not as bad as that stupid book," Sakura growled out, squirming as she finished accommodating to the size. She leaned up and they kissed. "But let's not talk about books right now."

"You brought it up," Shikamaru remarked as he started to pull out, thrusting back into her. Sakura shivered under him at the pleasure the action brought.

Sakura wrapped her legs around Shikamaru's waist and met his thrusts, grabbing the back of his head to pull him down once more. Their tongues entangled in an almost violent manner. Teeth pressed together at the ferocity of their kiss, their need showing as Shikamaru picked up the speed of his thrusts.

Their hands groped at each other's chests. Shikamaru seized Sakura's breasts in his hands, roughly massaging them; he made sure his hands were not too rough. His tongue trailed along the female's neck. He nuzzled her, listening to the rhythm of her breathing and her heartbeat.

Sakura moaned louder at hearing the slopping sound created whenever Shikamaru entered her wetness. The hands upon her breasts quickened in their actions when her walls clenched; both were growing closer to their release.

Shikamaru adjusted their position, moving Sakura's legs to allow him better access for his quickened pace. Both moaned out the others' name when they came. Shikamaru collapsed on top of the female, panting. He made sure that he was not blocking the girl from getting her own fill of air.

"So…that was really good," Sakura said, blushing.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "Just hope you don't get pregnant."

"…"

The genius boy smirked, looking down at the girl. Sakura had a raised brow as if she were wondering why the Nara offspring would bring up such a thing.

"Neh, Sakura-koi," he started. "Maybe I can let you be in charge next time…just let me lean against that tree right there."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Right now!?"

"Geez…I thought you read those books I recommended. And that Icha Icha Paradise. You should know it's not over yet," he said with a sigh. "You're so troublesome." There was a certain level of endearment in the way he spoke the final line that allowed a smile to come to the pink-haired kunoichi's face.

"All right, Shikamaru-kun. You better keep your promise."

His smirk grew, "Like I'd forget this."

-1-1-1-

Well…I hope that all these months was worth this. I'm very sorry it took so long. I just had a hard time writing this, and some things have come up off and on. Like my brother getting married this past month, and now they'll be having a baby within the coming three days.

Anyways, hope you all like it!


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